Pain Medicine
Pain medicine is a specialist area of anaesthetics. Stage 1 pain competencies can be acheived in the general anaesthetic setting, whilst Stage 2 required a dedicated placement in an soecialist pain setting. Stage 3 contains a generic pain domain, as well as option SIAs in pain management.
Advanced Pain Training is delivered over a minimum 12 month period in designated multi-disciplinary specialist centres where trainees are expected to undertake a wide variety of training in pain management spanning the full range of pain medicine treatment options/plans. Advanced Pain Training is considered the minimum required for those aiming for a consultant appointment with sessions in pain medicine.
All trainees entering Advanced Pain Training will be required to take the examination (MCQ paper and Structured Oral Examinations) in order to achieve the FFPMRCA:
In the West Midlands, Birmingham and Warwickshire Schools have the resources to offer Advanced Pain Training. Alternatively, some prefer overseas training (https://www.rcoa.ac.uk/careers-training/oope-and-oopt).
A plethora of information on pain training is available at: https://www.rcoa.ac.uk/faculty-of-pain-medicine/training-examination-and-assessment
Trainees interested in advancing their career in pain medicine are advised to liaise with the LPMES to explore different training opportunities.
Dr Shyam Balasubramanian MBBS MD MSc FRCA FFPMRCA
Consultant in Pain Medicine & Anaesthesia, UHCW NHS Trust, Coventry
Regional Advisor in Pain Medicine, West Midlands
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